leadership team

At 21, he set foot on the SS Universe Explorer and circumnavigated the world, cementing his passion for cross-cultural education. For 10 seasons, he led Global Routes students to Puerto Rico, Hawai’i, Mexico, the Grenadines, South Africa, Lesotho, Swaziland, Tanzania, Costa Rica, and Ecuador. With more than 25 years under his belt as an educator, ranging from running summer camps, leading for Global Routes, teaching in the Boston Public Schools, and leading health and nutrition education programs across Asia, Africa, and the Caribbean, Adam is constantly pursuing his personal mission.

During those rare moments when he is not leading, directing, or developing programs, Adam acts as the Co-Founder of The Cookbook Project and is a Food Education Scholar and Certified Health Counselor. He is also a certified teacher in history, English, math, and ESL. Adam is a Propeller Accelerator Fellow and serves on the Board of Directors for Odanadi USA, and the Community Advisory Boards of the Tulane Prevention Research Center, the Healthy School Food Collaborative, Farm to School planning commission, and Tulane Young Alumni. Adam enjoys spending time connecting with his community in Hawai’i, exploring with his two dogs Hoogli and Dorje, rock climbing, yoga, wilderness backpacking, sailing, and adventures in the Himalayas.

Ethan founded Carpe Diem in 2007, and took the helm of a merged Global Routes & Carpe Diem in 2023. He has personally led groups in India, Bali, Central America, New Zealand, and has developed programs in East Africa, Indonesia, South America, India, and Central America. Ethan speaks fairly fluent Spanish, although Swahili and basic Hindi were previously in his repertoire.

His passion for experiential education was inspired by his mother, who worked as a social worker in Cambodia. As a student, he became first in his class to take a gap year. On his gap year, he traveled to India, Nepal, Tibet, and Thailand. He trekked the Annapurna circuit, meditated for 10 days in noble silence, volunteered in a community kitchen, renewed his faith in humanity, lived in a thatched hut for a month during monsoon, and fell in love with travel. Ethan returned to Willamette University and quickly graduated in 2001 with a dual degree in English and Philosophy and a minor in Environmental Science.

Ethan has been a speaker at the City of Portland’s Tri-County Diversity Conference, the National Honor Society, the International Baccalaureate program for the state of Colorado, IECA & HECA, the International Partnership for Service-Learning, and many high schools and alternative education programs. He has led countless leadership training seminars, founded Carpe Mundi (Carpe Diem’s non-profit wing), and, in 2012, Ethan left Carpe Diem to found the Gap Year Association, the only membership-based nonprofit dedicated to advancing the gap year movement. He recently retired from GYA in January of 2022 and continues to co-chair the Standards and Accreditation Committee. Carpe Diem Education is part of the Global Routes family.

Anne comes to her role as Director after spending two years working as the Director of Enrollment at Carpe Diem. Prior to joining the Carpe Diem HQ team, Anne worked in the admissions offices of two other experiential education organizations for four years. Born and raised in Oberlin, Ohio, Anne grew up in a small town and moved west to attend college at Lewis & Clark in Portland, Oregon. Anne majored in Sociology and Anthropology in school and spent much of her time exploring the Pacific Northwest, studying the Bassoon and playing in the college orchestra.

During her junior year, Anne participated in a Semester in India with the National Outdoor Leadership School which is where her love of international travel and experiential education began. After graduating from Lewis & Clark, she came upon Carpe Diem and had the opportunity to intern at HQ for six months where she became familiar with the ins and outs of program administration and what goes on behind the scenes of making transformative experiences possible for students. Since completing her internship in the Carpe Diem office, Anne has lived in Lander, Wyoming and Boulder, Colorado and is thrilled to be living back on the West Coast. While working in the administration of a similar international education organization, Anne had the opportunity to lead groups of students along the Silk Road from Beijing to Kashgar in China and throughout Myanmar.

In her role, Anne loves having the opportunity to connect with students and their families as they prepare for an international semester experience. She also works closely with the Operations Team to ensure that the behind the scenes operations continue running smoothly. When she’s not in the office, Anne can be found cooking, enjoying time with friends in Portland and beyond, attending bluegrass shows and spending time with her backyard chickens. Global Routes is part of the Carpe Diem Education family.

A specialty operations, marketing and communications leader for the travel and experiential education industry, Madeline works to connect prospective students and families with the best fit Global Routes or Carpe Diem experience. Her passion for experiential education comes from studying, living, and working on 5 continents, including time performing research in South Africa and a stint teaching English in Vietnam.

With perspective from several facets of the experiential education industry (tour directing, international student advising, experiential education marketing and community management), she aims to help business owners and leaders eliminate “fluff” and connect through meaningful resources and relationships to drive success.

Madeline relocated to Oklahoma in 2021 as a member of the Tulsa Remote program and, in her free time, can be found exploring the local haunts, practicing yoga, or trying to keep up with her running group.

After spending many summers camping and as a recipient of the Eagle Scout Award, Brian developed his passion for transformative travel by applying his leadership skills to understanding, communicating with, respect, and the value cultures of the world.

Brian developed his thirst for travel when he was 9 as his family spent 10 weeks traveling across the country together visiting national parks, historical sites, and amusement parks. He then dove into the world of overseas travel while spending a semester abroad in Japan during his junior year of High School. He continued to explore the world by visiting Mexico, Europe, Uganda, Tanzania, Cambodia, Laos, and Thailand. After co-leading the Fall 2009 semester in Southeast Asia, he moved to San Francisco for college, returning with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology with minors in Business Administration and Japanese Language at the University of Oregon.

Brian moved to Portland where he has worked in coffee shops, as an Overseas Educator, and behind-the-scenes for Carpe Diem Education. When Brian is not traveling or working, he can often be found outside getting his hands dirty in the garden, becoming lost in the sights, smells, and sounds that surround him. He also enjoys spending time with family, cooking, riding his motorcycle, home construction, and spending as much time outdoors as possible. Education, service, and community have long been themes in his life and we’re proud and honored to have him working in the office with us! Carpe Diem Education is part of the Global Routes family.

Heather first discovered Carpe Diem in 2008, when she was looking for a way to combine her passions for experiential education, travel, and outdoor adventure. She grew up in a small suburb of Chicago and didn’t know about Gap Years when she graduated high school. However, a semester in South America her sophomore year in college opened her eyes to the transformative power that the combination of travel, independence, and education can have.

She spent another semester abroad, this time interning as a cultural exchange teacher at a K-12 school in India, and knew she would continue to seek out experiences that pushed her comfort zone for a long time to come. After finishing her BA in International Affairs at the University of Colorado-Boulder, she moved to Costa Rica for a year and a half, where she worked at an Environmental Learning Center, facilitating workshops and service projects related to conservation and education and fine-tuning her Spanish.

She moved back to the US to pursue a Graduate Certificate in Environment, Education, and Community at the University of Washington, but was still searching for a way to incorporate international exchange into the mix. Carpe Diem was the perfect fit! Since starting with Carpe in 2008, Heather has had the amazing opportunity to lead programs in Central and South America, India, the South Pacific, and Southeast Asia. In addition to working for Carpe, she also completed a yoga teacher certification program in India and an MS in Leadership for Sustainability Education at Portland State University.

Since transitioning from the field to Carpe Diem’s Portland, Oregon office, she spent a year as a Latitudes Director, before taking on the role as Program Director for Carpe’s Latin America programs. She loves helping others find amazing opportunities abroad, and facilitating opportunities for joy, laughter, and adventure. Carpe Diem Education is part of the Global Routes family.

Rebecca was 9 years old when she took her first extended trip abroad. From the moment she stepped off the plane, she felt exhilarated by the new sights, smells, sounds and taste (especially the taste, if Rebecca had to be labeled, she would be ok to be called a foodie). That initial experience opened her mind and senses to the world and was instrumental in shining light on what she wanted to do: travel and connect with people the world over, as well as find a way to pursue a lifepath that would keep her connected to people and travel. Rebecca received her B.A. in Middle Eastern and South Asian Studies and Jewish Studies from Emory University and her M.A. in Middle Eastern Studies from Ben Gurion University in Israel. Following the completion of her studies, and in search of a way to combine her love of people and travel, Rebecca took an extended trip to Asia, worked with a refugee service agency in Atlanta ((Did you know that just outside of Atlanta is the most ethnically diverse square mile in the United States- Clarkston, Georgia), spent 10 years working at an Indian restaurant in Atlanta, and briefly held down a job as a lady Santa Claus in India.

Once Rebecca found out about gap year programs, she felt she found a place that was the right fit for her. Having led 15 semester programs and countless summer programs in many regions around the world, Rebecca is now excited to look at programs from a different lens through Carpe Diem’s HQ world. Rebecca has been a puzzle enthusiast all of her life. As a kid she would spend her days completing jigsaw puzzles. Rebecca still enjoys a good jigsaw puzzle, but now her love of puzzles is more metaphorical. She enjoys figuring out how everything is connected, and when she travels she gets especially excited when she sees historical links between different cultures. Like the missing connecting piece of a puzzle, Rebecca can’t wait to connect Carpe students to wonderful experiences and a transformational experience. Carpe Diem

Doug joins the Carpe Diem HQ staff as the Latitudes Year & Outreach Coordinator after having spent several semesters working in the field as a Carpe Diem Overseas Educator. Since joining the Carpe Diem team in 2016, Doug has had the opportunity to lead programs in Central and South America, the South Pacific, India, and Hawaii all with incredible student groups and co-OEs! As the Latitudes Year & Outreach Coordinator, Doug enjoys working with students, families, foreign contacts and the HQ staff in a whole new capacity. Having personally volunteered with many of the organizations Latitudes Year students will work with, he is excited to support students on what are sure to be life changing experiences.

Born and raised in suburban Chicago, Doug’s family laid the groundwork for a love of nature at an early age thanks to their keen interest of escaping the city to the Northwoods of Wisconsin, canoeing in the Boundary Waters and taking road trips all over the country. As a teenager, he participated on adventure travel camps that first showed him the power and benefit of group experiential education. Whilst traveling internationally on his own throughout Southeast Asia and South America he became inspired to pursue work in the field of outdoor education, return to those roots in experiential education, which has led him to this point.

Getting to help facilitate experiential education programs has been a dream come true for Doug, who knows first hand how the world serves as both the best teacher and classroom. Colorado has been Doug’s home-base most of his adult life, and when not leading incredible trips, he can usually be found playing outside hiking, snowboarding, fly­ fishing or flinging a frisbee through the beautiful Rocky Mountains. He has pursued interests in permaculture, teaching English, cooking, sustainable local development, SCUBA, meditation and environmental tourism across the globe. Some of the coolest experiences that this adventurous lifestyle has provide

Adam started working with Carpe Diem in 2018 as an Overseas Educator. Since then he has had the incredible opportunity to lead 8 semester programs with Carpe Diem and 2 summers with Global Routes in Central and South America, India, Italy and Greece, as well as domestically in the United States.

Born in Chicago, Illinois and raised in Portland, Oregon, Adam was first exposed to the world of travel when he participated as a student on Carpe Diem’s 2012 South Pacific Spring Semester. Adam returned from this experience bit by the bug and determined to become fluent in a second language, as well as begin his studies in Psychology.

Adam graduated in 2016 from the University of Denver with a B.A. in Psychology and Spanish. A busy time, during school he completed 2 internships in outpatient mental health settings while traveling every chance he could get. After studying for a full year in Valparaiso Chile his junior year, Adam solidified his love of travel and future career in international education.

Passionate for other cultures, Adam speaks 5 languages and looks at the world from an interconnected perspective. Sometimes he can be found out in the mountains hiking and camping, other times he’s reading a good book or watching the news.

Brian joins the Carpe Diem HQ staff as the Custom Programs & Partnerships Development Director after spending the last decade working in the non-profit and for-profit space in youth development and opportunities. Before joining the Carpe Diem team in 2023, Brian had been involved in creating amazing opportunities for youth both in the domestic and international space.  Brian spent 6 years with City Year, empowering youth to give a year of service throughout the United States.  With a passion for youth development, Brian is eager to be a part of the Carpe Diem team creating even more avenues of exploration and opportunity.

Born and raised in Southern California, Brian has a true love for the City of Los Angeles.  Beyond the city itself, Southern California provides so much to do and see, that Brian is constantly finding new areas to explore. Brian lives in Sherman Oaks with his wife, 2 amazing kids and 2 dogs.

Brian attended the University of California, Santa Barbara, graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in History. After graduation, Brian spent the following summer traveling across Europe with only a backpack and a lifetime of memories! Brian has been all over Europe, Asia, Australia, and South America but nothing beats his home country of Costa Rica. Pura Vida!

Dave is co-founder and Executive Director of Cornerstone Safety Group. He is also the founder and President of Resilient Solutions, a risk management and emergency response consulting firm serving travel and experiential education organizations since 2011.

He has a risk management master’s degree from Norwich University, has spent the past 27 years in domestic and international travel operations, and has advised over 60 organizations in risk management practices and training. Dave is also the Secretary of the Gap Year Association’s Standards and Accreditation Committee and has spent time as an ambassador with the Responder Alliance focusing on emotional well-being and the stress continuum.
Before starting Cornerstone, Dave was the Vice President of Health, Safety and Risk Management at some of the largest organizations in the travel and experiential education industries.

Dr. Dubansky is the co-founder and Medical Director of Cornerstone Safety Group. He is a Board Certified Emergency Medicine Physician with special expertise in Wilderness Medicine. Dr. Dubansky is a Clinical Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine at the University of Nevada School of Medicine and serves as Medical Director for the Northstar California ski clinic, three national forests and several outdoor adventure companies.

Dr. Dubansky received his medical degree from the University of Maryland School of Medicine in 2010, then trained in Emergency Medicine at UCSF-Fresno where he created and completed an area of concentration in Wilderness Medicine Education in 2014. Dr. Dubansky’s experience includes designing and implementing EMS field scenarios and mass casualty drills, lecturing extensively to medical students, EMTs, nurses, physicians, and National Park Service and U.S. Forest Service Rangers. He has also developed National Park Service EMS protocols as part of UCSF-Fresno’s ParkMedic and Wilderness Medicine Programs.

Dr. Dubansky is also a co-founder of Tahoe Wilderness Medicine, where he still leads outdoor adventure trips. He has taught for or helped run numerous outdoor programs, including NOLS, Cal Adventures at U.C. Berkeley, Cornell University Outdoor Education, California Canoe and Kayak, ARTA River Trips and Healing Waters San Francisco. Dr. Dubansky volunteers as a National Ski Patrol physician and is a diplomate of the Wilderness Medical Society’s Diploma in Mountain Medicine program.

Michelle Lange, Psy.D., is a Licensed Clinical Psychologist. In addition to her work with Cornerstone, she is a Senior Lecturer of Psychology at Christopher Newport University and the owner of Relaction, a private therapy practice. She has over 15 years of experience working in the areas of college student and adult mental health, and in mental health education. She is a steadfast believer that investing in mental health affords us the ability to enhance resilience, cope with life’s challenges, foster positive relationships, and achieve overall well-being.

Maureen MacConnell, PMHNP-BC, PSY-M, is a board-certified Psychiatric Nurse Practitioner providing mental health consultation and training in over 60 countries globally. She has advanced degrees in Clinical Psychology and Psychiatric-Mental Health Nursing, and is pursuing a Doctorate in Education in Human and Organizational Learning. Maureen joins Cornerstone with fifteen years experience as a mental health clinician both domestically and internationally. She believes in providing continuous, adaptive support for travelers and is passionate about navigating the complexities of international healthcare.

Mike has worked for experiential learning and adventure companies around the world for 30+ years. Beginning as an outdoor educator in Oregon, Idaho, and California with the Pacific Crest Outward Bound School (now NWOBS), he later served in senior leadership. He went on to work as an Instructor for Outward Bound Australia in 1995-96 and as the Head of Operations for Outward Bound Hong Kong from 2018-2022. Currently in a role at the American Red Cross as the Disaster Program Manager for Western North Carolina and as the Risk Management Consultant for Outward Bound International, Mike also travels the world to consult on risk management in outdoor adventure businesses and regularly presents at conferences on cultural risk tolerance and risk management. He is also a member of numerous boards, including Risk Management Committees in the USA, Hong Kong, China and Outward Bound International. His expertise resides in operations, logistics, safety and risk management and team building. An avid mountaineering and rock climbing guide, sea kayak guide and white-water rafting guide, he has personally climbed and paddled all over the world. A personal accomplishment of his, Mike has mastered 50 first ascents in the US and a first ski descent in the Fairweather Range of Alaska. Mike moved from Hong Kong to Asheville, North Carolina in 2022. In his spare time he loves spending time with his family, exploring the crags of North Carolina, traveling, riding his bike, staring at maps and reading books on safety and risk management.

Katz has always been driven by two core passions: making a positive impact and exploring the wonders of the world. For years, she has dedicated herself to giving back, volunteering with children and youth, sharing her faith, and nurturing creativity through music, arts, and language. Whether she’s on a volunteer mission or participating in local outreach programs, her goal is always to leave a lasting, positive impact.

Her adventurous nature led her to immerse herself in the rich culture and cuisine of Bali for several months (who could resist!). Living and working in Singapore and exploring nearby countries only deepened her appreciation for diverse cultures and experiences.

Today, Katz continues her adventures with her family, discovering the beauty of their birthplace, the Philippines, and sharing their love for the beach, nature, and water sports. Her dedication to making a difference inspires her to seek out new opportunities wherever she goes.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Economics with a major in Business Economics and is currently pursuing a Master’s degree. She brings years of experience in executive support and over a decade of expertise in global and local management, focusing on operations and customer service.

Beyond her professional roles, she finds joy in tutoring ESL students and expressing her creativity as a visual designer.